


You might say I'm one of the best.

by marisalee



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gender Neutral Farmer, M/M, Rewrite, dipping my toes into sdv works so bare with me, fourteen heart event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marisalee/pseuds/marisalee
Summary: “Was I drinking?” he spluttered. “No! Why would you think that?”Basically just a rewrite of Shane’s 14-heart event from 1.4 but with a few added details.x-posted
Relationships: Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> First person. Shane x gender neutral farmer
> 
> Marnie is a manipulative woman and idk how i feel about her
> 
> I'm dipping my toes into the sdv archives. Working on getting characters right. Here's what I managed to spit out. Let me know what you think.

Heavy boots splashed along the ground as I ran for cover under the leaves of a big oak tree. Normally, I don’t mind running around in the rain, but today was especially wet. Admittedly, it felt pretty nice after all the heat we’d been getting, but not nice enough to run across town in it. Defeated, I wiped my mental to-do list clean of all my plans for the day. I cursed to myself and reminded myself to keep an eye on the weather channel more often.

A flash of purple caught the corner of my eye. A grape vine. Nice. They came off the vine with an easy pluck. Ripe. I started to fill my basket.

“ _I’m going to go out today, alright?”_ My husband’s words from this morning echoed in my head. I wondered where he had gone. I tried my damndest not to search for him through the trees and diagonal lines of rain. It was almost evaporating as it hit the ground, making the Cindersnap Forest look foggy and dense. I squinted. Near the dock, I thought I could spot a hint of that blue Joja jacket--

“Hey!”

I jumped nearly out of my skin, dropping a few grapes from my basket. My head whipped around and out of instinct my free hand flew to the handle of my sword.

Through the fog and rain, I saw a long, damp mane of bright orange hair. _Marnie_. My cheeks flushed pink at the thought of my hand gripping the hilt of my sword like a vice, and I quickly yanked it away to pick up some of the fallen grapes.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Marnie said as she quickly approached. Her shoes made a squishing sound as they slid through the wet grass and mud. Slightly puzzled, I shuffled aside to allow her room to join me under coverage of the oak. “Is your new goat doing alright? What’d you name her again? Cheese, wasn’t it?”

Blinking raindrops out of my eyes, I nodded. Marnie’s chest heaved in and out. She must have walked around a bit to find me. Just to ask about my goat? She could have written a letter…

She cleared her throat as her breath caught up to her. A deep breath in. I matched her breathing to mine. She was going to say something else.

“We need to talk about Shane.”

 _Shane_. Fear flashed in my eyes and I froze. A million scenarios filled my head as my eyes pleaded with the woman in front of me. _Where is my husband? What happened?!_

She sensed my worry and reached out to grab hold of my arm. “He’s okay”--I let go of the breath I had been holding--“but I’m worried about him.”

My urgency turned to confusion.

“?”

Marnie sighed and looked away, taking her hand away from my arm. “Gus says he’s been hanging out at the Saloon for the past few nights. I think he might be… you know.” She bit her lip and locked her eyes back to mine. I just blinked. I could hardly believe the words she was saying. She was wrong. She had to be wrong.

“ _I’m going to go out today, alright?”_ Again and again played over in my head like a broken record. The one place I hadn’t been-- _The Saloon._

Marnie’s expression softened as she saw me piece it together. She reached for me again.

She had no time to react before I pulled away, stuffed the grapes into my knapsack and wiped the grape juice from my hands onto my overalls. I instantly headed towards town. I needed to know. I needed to find out for myself. My husband’s voice echoed over and over in my head. _It can’t be true. He wouldn’t. Not without telling me…_

I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest at the rate it was thumping along to my footsteps as I sprinted towards town. A lull in the rain came, and I could hear Marnie’s shoes sliding through the mud behind me. As I neared the Saloon, the warm glow of its windows illuminating the wet town square, I slowed my sprint to a walk. Marnie caught up after a few steps, huffing and puffing.

“Wait a minute,” she huffed. I stopped just outside the door to let her catch her breath.

I wanted to reach for the door handle, I wanted to run inside and catch him red faced and red handed. But I just couldn’t. I was terrified of what I might see. I turned around to face Marnie just as I heard the handle of the Saloon door turn.

I yanked Marnie by the sleeve of her dress and pulled us both around the corner just in time for the door to swing open. I listened for any sign of who it was. Robin and Demetrius? Sebastian? Sam? Anyone other than--

“Phew, that was fun.”

My stomach dropped. I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to look at Marnie.

“Haven’t had a session like that in a while… _urrp_.” I heard his footsteps slowly fall as he descended the stairs. He sighed heavily. “Welp… I’m all sweaty. Better head back home.”

I waited until the sound of his footsteps started to get quieter before I let go of Marnie’s sleeve and whipped my head around the corner, hoping my ears were deceiving me.

They weren’t.

The back of his Joja hoodie, blue and wet and wrapped tightly over his head, disappeared from my vision as Shane headed home.

“Oh no… this doesn’t look good,” sighed Marnie. She had seen him, too. “You’d better keep your eye on him… next time you catch him coming out of the Saloon, you should say something…”

I nodded. I was thankful for the rain because it made it easier to pinch the tears out of my eyes without Marnie noticing. I turned abruptly and headed back in the direction of Cindersnap Forest. I didn’t think I had the courage to face Shane back at home. _Of course, I should have been keeping an eye on him,_ I told myself. I had been so busy with the corn this season, and I was so close to finishing repairs on the community center. My husband was feeling neglected.

This time, Marnie didn’t follow me. I ran between the thick brush of trees in the forest, hoping to get as far as possible away from anyone. I needed time to think about what I was going to say.

x

I thought I’d snuck in late enough that night to catch Shane asleep, but he was awake and he turned to greet me as I removed my muddy boots at the door. The corners of his mouth tugged at a smile.

“Hey, you.”

I didn’t say anything. I gave him a weak smile and pecked his cheek as I breezed past him into the bedroom.

“Everything okay?” he asked me. “You seem worried.”

I shook my head and turned towards the bed, ready to collapse into it. I hoped he didn’t see the lie on my face. I couldn’t bring myself to confront him yet. I still didn’t know what to say. I needed more time.

He must not have noticed, because he didn’t say anything after that.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2

Footsteps. Wet, sloshing footsteps. And someone whistling. Whistling, specifically, that old tune that Gus always played on the juke at the Saloon. I knew that whistler. I hoped he spotted me quickly.

“Oh, hey!”

He did. He redirected his sloshing feet. “I was just on my way home...”

“...”

I gave him a look. He reached up to grip the back of his neck with this hand.

“Huh?”

I continued to stare at him silently. My eyes drifted from him to the Saloon he had just exited, then drifted back to him. I raised my eyebrows.

His eyes widened and his smile twisted into a deep frown. I felt him stiffen and he pulled away from me. “Was I drinking?” he spluttered. “No! Why would you think that?”

I said nothing and watched the strands of dark hair on his head start to dampen. They stuck to his forehead. Droplets of water clung to the ends and fell, splashing onto his eyelashes. He blinked a few times until his eyes stayed shut. His hand came up to rub them. “Hmph…” He grumbled something under his breath and pushed past me towards the farm.

A long, exasperated breath escaped my lungs as I watched the back of that same Joja hoodie disappear over the horizon. I spun on my heels and headed in the direction of the Ranch. I couldn’t confront him alone. And I knew just who to ask for help.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3

Less than twenty four hours later, Marnie and I stood outside the Saloon, just around the corner as we had been a few nights before. I leaned against the brick wall and took a deep breath. He wasn’t in there yet. It was Marnie’s idea that we stake out the place and wait until he came. I _really_ hoped he wouldn’t come. But I knew that wouldn’t change things, even if he didn’t. Shane had been cold to me since the night before, and I felt absolutely horrendous about suspecting he’d been drinking, so I stayed out of his way mostly. I was home late and I was out of the house early, before he had even gotten out of bed. And now we were going to confront him.

  
Luckily, the rain had let up significantly after a two day storm, so we weren’t staking out and also being drenched. The hot sun had disappeared behind the horizon moments ago. I wiped sweat from my brow. It was so humid.

  
Marnie nudged me. There it was-- the sound of Shane whistling that same old Saloon tune, his lazy footsteps approaching heavily. We heard him pause just before entering the bar.

  
Shane took a deep breath. “Okay… I’m ready for another round!” He stepped up the stairs and the heavy door swung open and shut as he entered.

  
His words once again rang in my ears. How could he sound so happy? He was going to the bar in secrecy every night… and he was _happy_ about it? He was _proud_ of the fact that he’d kept it a secret that he’d fallen off the wagon from the most important people in his life? _Especially_ me?

  
Suddenly, I was no longer sad or fearful. My strong feelings of worry and concern were replaced by rage. I was seeing red. Marnie’s voice sounded far away somewhere behind me. “Alright… we’ve caught him in the act. Now let’s confront him. Take a deep breath…”

  
I stormed up the stairs and pushed open the Saloon door before I even knew what my feet were doing. The cool, conditioned air washed over me as I entered, like jumping into the freezing cold ocean. Marnie shuffled in behind me. My eyes locked onto Shane’s usual seat at the bar. I was prepared to march right up to him and ask him what his problem was, but he wasn’t there. My eyes scanned the rest of the seats at the bar, then the tables. He was nowhere to be seen. Everyone stared at me and Marnie as we looked around the bar. I saw Gus’s eyes flicker towards the arcade room. I rounded the corner.

  
There he was. Standing and facing the Return of the Prairie King. Pressing buttons. Leaning from side to side, as if shifting his body weight would help move his character. He grunted. A few choice words escaped his lips, barely audible under his breath. Beads of sweat were already beginning to form on his brow. There was an empty can at his feet, and another propped up against the screen of the console. My blood boiled at the sight of them.

  
“Arrgh! So close…” His knees bent and he raised his head to the ceiling. He took a chug from the can in front of him. He did a double take when he saw us standing over his shoulders. His eyes brightened when he saw us. “Oh hey!” he said casually. “Didn’t know I had an audience.”

  
Marnie and I shared a confused glance.

  
“Shane…” Marnie started, slowly turning back to face her nephew, “this is what you’ve been doing in here?”

  
“Yeah!” He responded, confusion starting to spread over his scruffy face. “What did you think?”

  
We both tried to think of a response. We couldn’t.

  
Shane turned back to the game.

  
“I’m completely addicted to this game…” he admitted, sounding a little annoyed. “I can’t help but play round after round…” A sly grin peaked at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve even reached the number three spot in the global leaderboards… you might say I’m one of the best.”

  
Marnie’s mouth hung open and she sputtered. “B-but… these cans…” she bent to retrieve the empty can on the floor, turning it over in her hands. _Joja Cola._

  
“Oh, that’s just Joja Cola…” His eyes locked onto hers, sensing her disbelief. “Yeah, yeah, I know… it’s bad for the teeth. But it helps me focus…” He trailed off as his eyes left Marnie’s gaze and fell upon mine. He was beginning to realize why we were here.  
My skin turned to ice and goosebumps rose on my arms. I tried to rub them out. I could feel my face flushing.

  
Shane looked from me to Marnie, then back again. “Wait… did you guys think I was drinking beer?”

  
I saw him stiffen again, just like he had the night before. He tried to take a step back, to distance himself from me, but he backed into the arcade machine.  
Marnie looked down at his shoes. She didn’t say anything.

  
Shane’s gaze once again locked with mine. His dark eyes stared into my soul and I wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor.

  
In a quiet, morose tone I had not heard him use in quite some time, he spoke, just above a whisper.

  
“I told you I hadn’t been drinking…”

  
I could barely hear him over the Saloon music.

  
My heart sunk to the very bottom of the pit of my stomach. My head started to spin. _You did tell me that_ … I felt sick. Sick for not believing my husband. Shane already lacked so much self-confidence… of course he wasn’t lying. Of course I should have believed him. Of course I should have trusted him. But I didn’t. I thought about blaming Marnie. It was really her fault that I was even here in the first place. But I believed her. I believed that Shane might have been lying to me. And I felt so sick for that.  
After a pause that felt like forever, I responded. “I’m sorry,” I managed to choke out. “I should’ve believed you.”

  
The frown on his face faltered just a bit. Barely. He opened his mouth to say something that I anticipated to be hurtful, and I closed my eyes to avoid seeing his angry face. I hated when he was angry.

  
But the shouting never came. Instead, I felt his hand on my arm. I opened my eyes. He was awkwardly grasping the skin of my forearm with his hand. He was always so awkward about touching me in public. But my skin warmed to his touch. 

  
“That's alright,” he said to me. His voice had retained its softness as he looked at me sadly. “You're just looking out for me. I get it.” He pulled his hand away from my arm and looked away, addressing the two of us. “Look... I know I haven't been perfect... but, I'm trying my best…” He shoved his hands into his pocket and kicked one of the cans on the bar floor. “And I'm gonna keep trying. So you don't have to worry about me. My life is better now than it's ever been. I'm not in such a dark place anymore…” He turned, facing the game with his whole body now, poking at the joystick mindlessly. “You know, when I’m playing this game, I become so focused that I can't think about anything else. It really helps when I've got ‘the urge’...”  
Marnie’s eyebrows crinkled at his chuckle. She looked at him with that half-frown of hers.

  
He ignored her and said, “Anyway… I’ll just… eh… play _one_ more round and head home.” He looked back at me. “Okay?”

  
I tried to smile weakly back. I still couldn't process the whirlwind of emotion that was swarming around in my head. Marnie heaved a heavy sigh and patted Shane on the back once, softly. She didn’t say anything else to him. She just turned and walked out the Saloon door. Shane stared at the closed door behind her. I walked closer to him and set my hand carefully on his shoulder. He leaned into my touch, grumbling. It felt tense.

  
“You… uh…” he cleared his throat. I pulled my hand away. “You wanna watch?”


End file.
